The shanks seem bad to the golfer, but they are actually one of the easiest faults to fix in the golf swing, if you know what your doing. For example, a lot of times when I am working with a student, the changes that we are making cause a few shanks here or there but you might catch me saying "great swing" or "thats very close". Im not saying that to boost your confidence after a horrid shot. It is true, you are probably on the right track to success.
One student I had recently made a pretty significant swing shape change, and he shanked about 15 shots in a row. He was on the right track with his swings, so I let him keep hitting the shanks and I kept telling him that it was OK and that he was doing great. When I sensed his frustration was growing too big, I added one small tip, and he didn't shank another ball the entire day. I didn't add the tip earlier because I wanted his focus to stay narrowed on the key swing change. It really is that easy, and I can probably fix your shanks without even seeing your swing!
There are 3 swing faults that cause a shank, so work through these until you find the one that is causing your shanks...
1. You are set up too close to the ball at address - When you are set up and ready to hit take your right hand off the club and try to swing it between the butt of your grip and your pants. If your hand passes easily, you are at a proper distance. If your hand does not fit, adjust your stance so your hand can pass through easily.
2. You are moving closer to the ball while the swing is in progress - Usually this move comes during the backswing when your body shifts over the ball. It is easy to check for this mistake with a mirror directly behind you down the target line, or have a buddy watch your forehead to make sure it is not moving closer to the ball at all during the swing.
3. Your swing path to too drastic from inside out or outside in - Meaning, you are coming in at such as sideways angle that "el hosel" gets in the way no matter what you do. To correct this, put a alignment stick on the ground about 6 inches behind your ball aiming straight at the target. Make a slow motion swing to analyze whether you are coming from outside to inside, or inside to outside. Then use the stick to guide your backswing and downswing so that they are "on plane" longer and you will have a better chance of catching the ball solidly.
Or take the Tin Cup approach (not recommended by your pro) - You can turn your hat around backwards, put all your change in your left hand pocket, stick a tee behind your ear and tie your right shoe in a double knot... that may work too.
More than anything, the "shanks" is just scary for most golfers. Maybe because its embarrassing, or maybe because the ball doesn't go anywhere. Either way, next time you hit a hosel rocket, remember to try these three fixes first. And don't sweat it, it's not as bad as you think!
Good Luck!
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